How Does Zora Hurston Use A Metaphor In How It Feels To Be Colored Me

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Level 1: In Zora Hurston’s “How It Feels to Be Colored Me” she uses a reference to a metaphor for human identity and experiences, the brown bag of miscellany objects stands for the complexity and diversity of human identity and experiences through the acknowledgment that individual identities are not fixed or singular. Every individual is unique and consists of a blend of experiences, cultures, backgrounds, and experiences that make them who they are. This represents the brown bag, filled with all kinds of things that make up who you are. Just as a miscellany holds a diverse range of objects, each person's identity is a mix of different elements that cannot be neatly categorized or defined. This metaphor highlights the beauty and complexity …show more content…

The metaphor also shows that there is beauty and value in this diversity, we should embrace and celebrate our differences instead of trying to conform to a narrow definition of identity. Each of us has a unique story and perspective, and that is beautiful. I think that Hurston attempted to create several messages and none of us will ever know what is correct, we just have to choose what we think is right. Conveying her message without explicitly saying it, I believe that Zora is exemplifying the idea that human identity is complex and cannot be reduced to simplistic labels and categories. She also symbolized the uniqueness of the Black community. The brown bag contains miscellaneous items, and the Black community is made up of diverse individuals with different backgrounds. In addition, since the brown bag is “not a definite thing” speaks to the fluidity and complexity of identity, which shows how one’s experience and sense of self are constantly evolving and changing into …show more content…

Aside from slavery and segregation, racism has evolved into more covert and subtle forms, like biased hiring practices and unequal housing and education access. Aside from that, the ideologies and beliefs that justified racism in the Antebellum Period have evolved and continue to permeate society today, perpetuating racial inequality. During the Antebellum period, African Americans fought for emancipation, equal rights, and the abolition of slavery, and people like Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois helped lead these efforts. Writers like Alain Locke and Zora Neale Hurston emphasized the contributions of Black communities to the arts and culture, as well as discrimination and segregation. With the end of slavery and the beginning of the Jim Crow Era, systematic racism has taken on new forms of segregation and discriminatory legislation. Although white supremacy's methods have changed, the goal has not. Today, systemic racism is still a problem. The system is ingrained in institutions and systems, so Black people still get unequal treatment and opportunities. Racism persists, despite efforts to end it and dismantle it. Racial discrimination against marginalized communities is perpetuated by systematic racism. Race-based discrimination also hinders progress and social justice, since it limits opportunities for those who are unfairly targeted.

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